Closer Than You Think
by torib0o
Summary: After a recent divorce leaves him aggravated and tense, Shikamaru finds relaxation in the person who's been by his side all along. True Love is closer than you think. AU, ShikaNeji, Crossdress/Trans, Romance, Humor, a bit of drama, WAFF, WIP.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Ok, time for another new fic! For this one, the thanks MUST go to MaddyLovesL because she's been giving me such amazing ideas lately, so, this fic and the next new one are all because of her.

This first chapter is dedicated to tinadapenguin1 because she's a bit under the weather and she's a real sweetheart, so, I hope you feel better soon and that you'll enjoy the fic.

**This is a first but, I'm keeping the Japanese name order (last name first, first name last) but I'm using the English honorifics (mr, ms, mrs).**

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

--

"You know, when we started dating and you were lazy as _fuck_ I thought you were just….just acting aloof! My mother said you were just acting aloof, pretending that you were tough and whatnot just to lure me to you, but, I swear, I never thought that you could actually be so lazy! I mean," she scoffed. "What the _fuck_ do you do here, Shikamaru?"

Shikamaru finally looked away from the window he staring through long enough to address his wife, err, ex-wife.

Their marriage had been doomed from the very beginning, something that Nara Shikamaru had never wanted, especially at his current twenty two years but his mother had forced him into it. _'Damned troublesome woman.'_ He swore inwardly.

Hanasaki Reika was a gorgeous woman, of that, there was no argument but she was also annoying, self-centered, and immature and those were things that Nara Shikamaru had no time for.

The Nara family was proficient in the making and distribution of medicines and medical supplies the world over and Shikamaru was one of the few who did not have a job in one the numerous labs around the world, nor was he working in a hospital as neither a surgeon nor attending physician but in the corporate sector of the business.

If one were to ask him, he couldn't honestly say what his job was. There didn't seem to be any certain hierarchy within business, considering all of the major roles were occupied by members of the Nara family, but, he knew it was something vaguely important, if judging by his corner office and personal secretary.

He glanced back to his former wife before lighting a cigarette and taking a long drag. "Why are you here, Reika?" he asked as he exhaled the smoke within his lungs. "I've given a house and car, you have a high paying job, so, you don't need my money; why are you here?"

She scoffed once more as she watched him inhale. "Being in the medical business, one would think that you'd know the dangers of-"

"I don't have time for this." He said as he cut her off, pressing the small button on his desk and leaned down a bit as a polite voice peeped through.

"Yes, Mr. Nara?"

He took another drag before placing the small, white tube in the ashtray on his desk. "Yes, can you please page security to my office; there's quite the annoyance in here."

"Right away, sir."

Reika gaped at her ex-husband, taking in the small, self-satisfied smirk he wore. One couldn't honestly define her purpose for wanting to see Nara Shikamaru, but, she knew she felt like seeing him and when Hanasaki Reika wanted something, she got it.

At first glance, Nara Shikamaru was welcome challenge for her. Tall, handsome, and muscular, tan, smart, and witty; what more could she ask for in a man, was what she thought initially. It wasn't long before she found out, that in addition to his previously listed wonderful qualities, that he was horribly lazy and showed little to no interest in most of life's endeavors, not even she whom he'd married.

She'd never been in a situation where the man she wanted didn't want her and it was rather disconcerting, in her less than humble opinion.

She finally looked away from him when the door to his spacious office opened, obviously having missed the knock while caught in her musings, and watched as two rather large security guards entered the room behind Shikamaru's assistant.

During her marriage, Reika visited Shikamaru's office enough to know his secretary and she noticed, with unmasked distain, that this _person_ was the only thing that her lazy ex-husband ever took any interest in.

She looked the secretary up and down, a sour look on her face as the young assistant announced the presence of the security guards and as Reika was escorted out of the office, she heard Shikamaru's secretary ask if the young Nara was ready for his afternoon tea.

--

Shikamaru leaned back in his chair as he watched his assistant's long, chestnut hair swing back and forth as they made his tea. _'Hot tea with milk, sugar, and a wedge lemon?'_ he could hear that sweet voice in his head and sighed softly as his employee turned around and gave him a small smile that was as bright as it was shy. He was about to speak when the door to his office burst open.

"Shikamaru!" The Nara watched as a whirlwind of purples and reds flounced through his office only to collapse in one of the plush chairs before his desk. He watched as the spiky haired woman took in his secretary before smiling sharply. "Black, cream, four sugars." She said as she watched the assistant turn back around with a small scowl on their face. "Thanks, doll."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "Temari." He called firmly, causing her to turn back to him and give him a bit of a wide eyed innocent look.

"What is it?" she asked as she while digging through her purse, her cell phone ringing shrilly before she ignored the caller and gave him her full attention.

"Why are you here?"

"Well, I was just in the neighborhood and I thought 'when was the last time I saw my dear, sweet, fri-"

"I'm not giving you a rematch."

"Oh!" She stood up and pouted as she stomped her boot clad foot. "You are absolutely insufferable, Shikamaru! Why not?"

He sighed softly. "Troublesome woman, battles of the mind are fruitless, especially with one who is obviously your superior."

She scoffed as she crossed her arms, sitting back down as Shikamaru's secretary placed her coffee on the desk before her and a small plate of cookies between Shikamaru and herself.

"Weren't you wearing a dress the last time I was here?" though the assistant ignored the comment, their cheeks went red at the question and seeing that, Shikamaru quickly spoke.

"I can do the rest myself, thanks." His secretary nodded once before hurrying out of the office and the Nara couldn't help but give the blonde woman a bit of a glare. "Temari, drink your coffee and leave, please."

The woman's jaw dropped as she looked at Shikamaru and as she went to speak again, she held her tongue at the pointed look she was given.

Temari was an affluent fashion designer. Her designs of classic Japanese clothing with a modern twist had taken the world by storm over the past several years and she couldn't have been happier if she tried. In addition to her great fortune by way of fashion, Temari also designed fans of various shape, size, and pattern as both household decorations and accessories.

She'd met Nara Shikamaru sometime during teenagerdom during one social event or another where neither of them particularly fit in, but she had done far better than the young Nara, if only because of their three year age difference giving her more time to attend such stiff collar events.

However, despite their differences in age, Temari decided to give dating the younger man a chance but after four months of quick quips and playful arguments, the two decided that they were better suited for friendship than romance but remained constant forces in each other's lives.

As she finished her coffee, Temari fidgeted a bit uncharacteristically with her purse before walking around his desk to give Shikamaru a hug and a quick peck on the cheek. "I'm sorry if I upset you." She said softly, honestly.

He waved his hand dismissively as he sighed and sat further back. "No, no it's not you; Reika was here today."

"Hmph," Temari turned her nose up. "Bitch. What'd she want?"

"To be a pain in my ass."

"Sorry, love; that's how the cookie crumbles. Didn't I tell you she'd be a handful when you married her?"

"Psh." He blew a bit of a raspberry. "You know how my mother is."

Temari rolled her eyes. "Enough said." She perked up a bit as her phone went off once more, checking the message she received before moving hurriedly towards the door. "Crap, I forgot about this meeting; we're expanding the line of fans to Argentina. Call you later?"

"Yeah, sure. Do me a favor and tell my secretary to come in here on your way out?"

"Got it."

Shikamaru sighed softly as he smiled fondly at Temari's departure; the woman was always on the go, which was why he enjoyed spending time with her whenever they spent any time together. Somehow, after they'd had their brief dating stint, Temari had become something of a big sister to him and he found that he liked the sense of being worried for by someone other than his mother.

As the door opened and a familiar pale face peaked in, Shikamaru smiled and waved his hand toward himself, telling his assistant come in. He watched as that delicately svelte figure moved to the center of the floor and regarded him with alert eyes.

"First of all," Shikamaru began. "I want to apologize for what Temari said; it was completely uncalled for." When he saw his secretary raise their hand shyly, he smiled and said softly. "It doesn't matter whether or not it was true. Secondly, I want you to log into the security mainframe and find a screenshot of Reika. Print out a clear picture of her and give it to security; she's not to be in this building."

"Yes, sir." His employee said softly, but, obediently. "Will that be all?"

He watched as the person before him smoothed their hands down their dress shirt, his eyes trailing down that slender body to linger on the black dress pants that seemed so incredibly high on the waist but were so wide around what he knew were lean legs before looking back up their face with the tiniest hint of a smile.

"Yes, that will be all, Neji."

--

End Chapter 1

So, opinions?

I kinda wanted to get this up 'cause I have work later today and it's also the birthday of my great-grandmother and the most awesomest german twins (whoo, tokio hotel!)

And yes, Neji is wearing women's dress pants at the end.

Reviews = love

**CHECK THE UPDATE SCHEDULE TO SEE WHEN THIS STORY WILL BE UPDATED!**

torib0o(09/01)


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you for all the feedback on the last chapter. Ok, so, lots of people are OOC, just thought I'd let you know. Please remember that this is fiction and the medical procedures are probably impossible as are the 'birth defects'.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

--

Neji sighed tiredly as he walked down the cold, November streets. In his opinion, it'd been a beautiful day; rainy and overcast and he couldn't help but inhale deeply as he stared at the drenched streets. However, despite his love of rain, he couldn't help but wish his car was operational.

It'd been a little over a week since he'd started his car to go home from Nara Medical Industries and, as he waited for the engine to warm up in the cold garage, he'd noticed smoke coming rather quickly from beneath the hood. It was late in the evening and only and Nara Shikamaru's cars were left in that particular level of the parking garage, therefore, no one else was around to see the incident in question.

--

_Flashback_

_He sat in his car, quietly primping his hair in the rearview mirror when he'd noticed the smoke coming from beneath the hood of his car. He raised an eyebrow the occurrence, but did nothing, hoping the smoke would stop soon._

_Minutes later, his door was jerked open and he was dragged out into the cold parking garage, landing heavily against a firm chest. He pulled himself back, prepared to scream at being kidnapped or carjacked when he was thrown to the side and his keys were ripped from the ignition._

"_Shit, are you ok?" He blinked owlishly and blushed softly at the familiar voice before looking into deep brown eyes, holding his arm to his chest. "Neji!"_

_He jerked at the harsh call of his name and nodded quickly as he spoke softly. "Yes, Mr. Nara." _

_He was rather confused feeling Shikamaru's large hand on his shoulder but said nothing against it, in fact, it took everything within himself not to lean into the long awaited touch. He looked up to the younger man towering over him, admiring his strong jaw, tanned, mocha skin, and thin lips set beneath a perfect nose, but, it was only then that he realized Shikamaru was not looking at him._

_He turned around in the younger man's grasp and immediately, his hands flew to his mouth, a stifled 'oh my god' falling from his rose petal pink lips. He never noticed the smell or the rising smoke clouding the upper level of the parking garage, but, now he could certainly see the smoke and smell the burning of metal and rubber as he watched the flames bursting from the undercarriage of his car._

"_Neji!"_

_His body was on autopilot. He didn't know he'd stepped away from Shikamaru, let alone run the distance back to his burning car until he felt the heat. He could hear that wonderfully deep voice laced with worry and concern as he continued to sprint to his car and climb back through the open door. He'd just set one of his hands on the case, the other grabbing the strap of his purse when strong hands gripped his waist and pulled him back forcefully._

_He was tossed over a broad shoulder and he didn't have a moment between breaths to notice that he was being jerked to and fro as the younger man ran and opened the door leading back into the building._

_As Neji was set down, he noticed Shikamaru was already on the phone, apparently with emergency dispatchers from the sound of it. When the Nara hung up, he turned to Neji and fixed the smaller man with such a cold, calculating look that Neji couldn't help but shrink back._

"_Do you want to tell me what the __**fuck**__ you thought you were doing? In case you didn't notice, your goddamn car is on __**fire**__ out there; what on earth possessed you to run back to a __**burning**__ automobile?!"_

_Neji shrank back, his body trembling and on the verge of tears. So upset was he by the harsh words of not only his employer, but, the object of his longstanding affection, he hadn't even realized that Shikamaru had not only put his own life in peril to save Neji, not once but twice, but was so concerned that he was not only yelling and swearing, but, gesturing wildly at the pale eyed young man, exerting as much energy as Neji had ever seen from him. _

"_I…I…" he couldn't speak. He was so upset that he'd upset Shikamaru that all he could was thrust the case he'd holding to his chest out to the Nara._

_He watched the younger man continue to frown as he looked at the case before he shook his head. "You risked your life for this, for an instrument?" Neji looked away as he heard the roar of sirens closing in quickly, feeling a wave of shame washing over him. "One would think you, of all people, would not be so thoughtless."_

_He watched from behind glass doors as a fire truck came up the ramp, firefighters pulling hoses and fire extinguishers off the side of the engine, spraying his car with water and dry chemicals. He sighed softly as he watched as Shikamaru give him a onceover from the corner of his eye before the younger man walked out the doors to meet the man walking towards them._

_End Flashback_

_--_

He took a seat on a wet bench, his hand gripping the handle of the case in his hand. Looking back on the moment, he realized that Shikamaru had reacted so harshly because he was worried about Neji, but, he couldn't help but wondering if Shikamaru had been right, if he'd been thoughtless. But as he looked down at the case in his hand, he smiled before shaking his head, banishing the thought.

Of all the material possessions he'd acquired throughout his lifetime, nothing was more important to Neji than the object laying in the case in his hand.

--

"Hyuuga, I swear you've been late every night this week! It's absolutely irresponsible of you to commit to something and say you'll be at certain place at a certain time and then not do it."

Neji scoffed as he threw his hair over his shoulder. "You act as though I'm inconveniencing you; you're more than capable of performing without me."

The elder man looked at him through narrowed, piercing blue eyes, assessing him before responding as though Neji had never spoken. "Time is fleeting." He said in a hushed voice.

Neji rolled his eyes as he sat on his customary stool behind blond haired boy. He opened the black leather case and let his fingers rove over the lacquered surface of the violin within, feeling a reverent sense of respect for the beautiful instrument.

He'd been a mere two years old when he'd first held the instrument, passed down from his father and even then, he'd been afraid to touch it, fearing his clumsy, inexperienced hands would drop such an important item. As far back as he could remember, the sweet, lilting tones of the violin were forever pressed into his memory; before a voice, before an image, the violin is what he can remember first, his ever present constant.

With the death of his father came the inheritance of the instrument that had been his in a technical sense for two years. At four years old, he held onto the case for dear life, hardly letting it out of his sight. Now, at twenty three years old, he knew his father saw his musical talents, something that was evident in his self teaching of both the violin and piano and he was forever thankful for the gift his father left him and love of music the man instilled in him.

"Are you ready, Neji?" the other man asked softly.

And Neji watched as he set a small package on the pottery wheel. He set the violin to rest on his collarbone, gently resting his head on the chin rest and relaxing his neck. He lifted the bow as he watched his companion unwrap his hands, looking back over his shoulder with a small smile, his face obscured by his fringe.

"Begin, Deidara."

He watched from the corner of his eye as a red headed figure entered the room, his movements as smooth as silk before turning his attention back to the blond, watching as the miniature mouths on his hands opened and tongues slid out to lick around the palms.

Meeting Deidara had been purely coincidental, as most meetings are. During one his first days in college as a freshman, as he spent his day in an empty music room, lost in the playing of his violin, an older student wandered down the halls of the music and arts building, trying to find the source of the melodious tone.

--

_Flashback_

_Deidara stopped midway through the miniature recreation of Michelangelo's 'David' at the soft sounds flowing through the hall. Looking up, he had to wonder just who was playing so late in the day, noting that it was nearly half past six._

_He stood warily and walked around the hall, quickly finding the music room with it's sole occupant. A breathtakingly gorgeous person with dark hair cascading over their shoulders like a waterfall, their sinuous body moving with beautiful sounds they were creating. Having only seen this person from the back, Deidara couldn't help but move around the room to observe their frontal beauty and barely restrained a gasp at the pale figure before him._

_The music stopped abruptly at the sound he made and beautifully opalescent eyes snapped opened, looking painfully frightened and Deidara couldn't help but give a tiny, smile._

"_Hi,"_

_Neji gave the person in front of him a onceover, inwardly wandering if the person before him was male or female, unable to tell from the pitch of their quieted voice._

"_Hi."_

_Deidara watched as the person looked at him evenly before they began to put the violin back in the case before speaking up._

"_Please, don't!" he said rather swiftly and pale eyes looked up at him laced with confusion and he couldn't stop the blush from covering his cheeks or the way his voice was so terribly hushed when he continued to speak. "I mean, it was really beautiful."_

_Neji tilted his head. This person before him was quite stunning and he could already admit to himself that he liked them, they seemed rather sweet. He took in the skinny figure covered in tight light blue jeans and the red and black shoulder wrap with a single button in the middle over a plain white shirt, covering what breasts may have been there. They had large, pale blue eyes and shimmering blond hair, a large portion of which was held up in a high ponytail in the middle of their head but still cascading down their shoulders, touching the small of their back and covering the left side of their face completely._

_Neji blushed softly and pulled the violin to rest in his lap. "Thank you."_

"_Would you…would you play some more, please." They watched each other for a moment before the blond smacked his head, shocking Neji before thrusting his hand out, the nails of which Neji noticed were painted black. "My name is Deidara, what's yours?"_

_Neji blinked, reminding the other of an owl. "Neji."_

_There was a brief silence as realization washed over both of them during which, their cheeks colored and they looked away from each other before glancing back and laughing, knowing that the same thoughts were flowing through their minds._

"_So," Deidara began softly, "Now that we know that we're both….umm"_

"_Male?" Neji supplied easily, smiling at the other._

"_Yeah, now that we know we're both male and have that question out of our minds, do you think you might consider playing again? I mean, playing for me. See, I'm a sculptor," he held up his filthy hands as evidence. "and I like something relaxing to work to and I mean, you should see what I did tonight just listening to your music. Actually, do you want to see?"_

_This man spoke so quickly, Neji was amazed that he understood anything, but, he found himself nodding as he placed his violin back in the case. In a moment, they were back in the room Deidara had come from and Neji wandered over to the only workstation in use and gasped._

"_Is this…?"_

"_Yeah, it's supposed to be David but,"_

"_My god, the workmanship is __**amazing**__; how long have you been working on this?"_

"_Umm, about two and half, maybe three hours."_

_Neji's jaw dropped. "That's absolutely astounding for such detail already. Obviously, you aren't finished, but, this is really gorgeous work."_

_The blond laughed nervously. "Thank you, it's really because of you though; the music gave me such inspiration that I hadn't realized what I was doing until I was halfway through the torso." He watched as Neji blushed and moved closer to the younger man before speaking. "Look, I know we don't know each other, but, I feel like we could be great friends and your music is really beautiful, so, ummm…"_

"_Maybe I could play for you and in the process, we could get to know each other? I must admit, my home is far from here and I know very few people, so, it would be nice to have a companion."_

_Deidara looked up and smiled brightly before nodding enthusiastically._

_Their friendship blossomed indeed and they found out that they had a great deal in common; both were complicated, artistic souls who were stubborn to a fault, each believing that his way was most efficient. Neji learned that Deidara was painfully sarcastic and witty, something he enjoyed to a immensely in the way it complimented his own sardonic charm and Deidara learned that Neji enjoyed thoughtful silences, but, in his past had been rather fatalistic and cruel. _

_There were a handful of things that Neji picked up about Deidara early on, such as, his borderline obsession with fire, the way he found out especially frightening. One evening, instead of using the kiln indoors as Neji had become accustomed to watching the blond do, Deidara suggested making a garbage can kiln to which Neji readily objected to but, the next day found himself staring at as Deidara's eyes bounced with horrifying glee at the way the flames danced. He later found out that Deidara used the regular kiln earlier in the day, but, now, just wanted to watch flames and throw various pieces of material into the can to see sparks and tiny explosions._

_However, there was one thing Neji learned later on about Deidara that he'd wished learned within days of their first meeting._

_It was a cool day in December and Neji was rushing down the stairs of his dorm to meet his friend for an early lunch. As he propelled out of the door and down the sidewalk, he ran into a familiar blond and gasped._

"_Sorry I'm a little late! My roommate woke up before dawn to go jogging and I just fell back asleep after he left; you have no idea how noisy he can be."_

_Deidara only laughed as he looked the younger man over and shook his head at the hat and scarf the Hyuuga had thrown on haphazardly and fingertips that were as his rosy as cheeks. _

_Neji furrowed his brow as his hat and scarf were fixed and tilted his head in confusion as Deidara held out his gloves._

"_Take them; I know your fingers must be ice by now."_

_Neji looked down and took the gloves, raising a brow when Deidara swiftly stuck his hands into his pockets. "Now, your hands are cold." Neji said softly as he grasped Deidara's wrist, trying to pull his hand out his pocket._

"_No, no I'm ok."_

"_But you're cold." Neji persisted softly, his caring tone aggravating Deidara for the first time he would be able to call into memory._

"_I'm not cold, Neji!"_

_Neji pulled his hands to his chest as a cold breeze ruffled his skirt. "I…I'm sorry, I just thought…"_

_The blond sighed, taking Neji's hand in his own and twining their fingers together. "No, I'm sorry." After a moment's hesitation, he added, "Give me back the gloves?"_

_Neji nodded softly and pulled off the aforementioned accessory. He held them out to his friend and as he went to draw his hand back in, he felt Deidara swiftly grab onto it. The brunet raised questioning eyes to Deidara when he felt a certain moistness repeatedly wash over his hand. _

"_What…?"_

_He watched as Deidara pulled his other hand out of pocket and for the first time, he noticed lines on the elder boy's hands and he didn't have time to contain the yell he released when the line parted to show perfectly lined, white teeth before a tongue poked out. _

"_Oh, my god…" he breathed shrilly. "What the hell is that; oh god, are the moving?!"_

"_Neji, please."_

_It was then that he noticed Deidara had taken his hands back and was wrapping them in the bandages that usually covered his hands and Neji realized that his friend had been hiding the extra appendages. He looked up, his eyes locking onto those familiar blue and he found them glistening as lips, as delicately pink and supple as his own, trembled with the effort to hold back tears of horrified shame._

_Feeling as though he were the lowest organism on the planet, Neji walked moved closer to his friend and opened his arms, pulling the blond to him._

_It was on that day that Neji learned of Deidara's birth defect, if one could call it that. The blond was only the second person in recorded medical history, to have mouths on each of his palms and the first to have said mouths functioning. After his birth, doctors tried to determine if the hands were necessary to his life, eventually discovering that they were. The blonde's body required three times the normal intake of oxygen which could only be acquired through the mouths on his hands; to remove or replace them would have meant certain death._

_He learned that Deidara's youth had been especially trying with no one really willing to speak to him because of the odd additions to his body. Deidara spoke of one friend, an older boy who was actually a distant cousin, quite fondly, smiling at the memory of him, only to find that the blond had witnessed his cousin's death when he defended him from a violent group of men intent on raping him before discovering his hands, turning murderous in an instant._

_He learned that Deidara's mother moved them away quite quickly after that, but, everywhere they went, Deidara was hounded mercilessly and after years of seeing his mother trying to do everything for his benefit, guilt grabbed him by the throat, threatening to strangle him. He took his leave at sixteen years of age in the dead of the night and had only been back to see his mother in the last year, despite his love for her._

_She couldn't have been more proud of him, happy that he hadn't wasted his life after running away or done something worse. When questioned on his survival, Deidara spoke of a wonderful man with crimson hair and amber eyes who took care of him, never expecting a thing in return. Initially, his mother feared the man to be a pedophile, but, Deidara quelled her fears and explained the man had taken him under his wing and taught him new and different forms of art, crediting his well being to his master._

_Sasori found Deidara digging through the discarded boxes behind his apartment building soon after the blond ran away and immediately took him in....against his better judgment. He was a cold man, but, something about this delicate child with the sharp tongue, called out to him. _

_In his youth, Sasori had been in terrible accident, the result of which was a painful surgery that replaced the majority of his bones with metal rods. At the time, the procedure had been highly experimental and ridiculously expensive, however, the cost of the surgery was nonissue. _

_In her youth, Sasori's grandmother had been a masterful puppeteer, entertaining royalty the world over, thus accumulating a vast amount of money. His parents were murdered when he was ten years old, but, because their profession, the nature of which his grandmother never revealed, he was left a great deal of money, so, his surgery came without any hindrance and thankfully, had been successful._

_By the time Deidara finished with high school and Sasori persuaded him to enter a university of some kind to better train his artistic talents, the two were already well on their way to becoming lovers despite their ten year age difference, something that never bothered either of them._

_After Deidara finished telling his story, and a bit of his lover's, it was well into the evening, but, they were still sat in the same café where the decided to have their lunch. He looked up and across the table to where Neji sat and if he had a single question in his mind regarding their friendship, it was gone when Neji squeezed his hand and said in that ever soft, understanding voice said._

"_It's ok."_

_End Flashback_

--

The final chord of his song rang out as Neji held his bow away from the violin, watching Deidara make a final mark on his piece.

The blond swiveled around on his stool and gave Neji a bright smile, motioning for the Hyuuga to come over. As Neji looked over Deidara's shoulder, he couldn't hold back his grin. There on the table, was a group small white birds but Neji noticed the scent that usually lingered in the air was different.

"Is this not clay?" he asked as he looked back to the package Deidara used.

"Nah, I used polymer clay this time."

"What's the difference?"

"It's a lot faster to work with and these are a gift for you, so, I wanted to be able to get everything done tonight."

Neji smiled warmly as he followed Deidara into his kitchen, watching the blond slip his sculptures into the oven. They sat in companionable silence for a long moment before Sasori walked into the room, regarding them both with a nod of the head before continuing to the refrigerator.

"Master, are you hungry?" Deidara asked as he moved to stand behind the elder man, arms encircling his waist.

Neji watched as Sasori turned in Deidara's grasp, bringing one arm up to wrap around the younger's neck before pressing their lips together. He sighed at the gentle treatment of a lover, wishing he could be the recipient of such tender actions, and in his mind, he chastised himself for being so needy, but, the desire was there and he couldn't deny it.

As the night dragged on, Neji thanked Deidara for his gifts and gathered his belongings, repeatedly telling his friend that he didn't mind walking home in the weather before setting off for home. He hadn't been walking ten minutes when he heard the sound of a car slowly following him.

He prepared himself to run when the car stopped and he heard a door open and close. However, when he heard a familiar voice call his name, he stilled for a moment before turning around.

--

"You know, you should really call a cab in this weather; I hear it's about to storm."

Neji swallowed but said nothing. He turned his head to his left to where Shikamaru was driving and tilted his head. "Is there something particularly fascinating about me this evening, Neji?"

Turning his head away, Neji directed his attention out the window of the car where hail was steadily hitting the window. "No, sir." He heard the younger man's deep laughter and turned back to look at him through his bangs.

"You really don't have to call me 'sir'."

"My apologies, Mr. Nara." He said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"You know, you could just call me by my name."

"It would be unprofessional to call you by your first name today and switch back to formalities tomorrow."

"Professionalism is overrated."

There was silence for a moment, wherein Neji tried to understand his employer. Of course he knew that Shikamaru was unconventional in every sense of the word, but, surely he understood workplace decorum and if he didn't, Neji did and he would not go against he believed to be the proper thing.

"So, what's with the case?" Neji's head snapped over to Shikamaru, remembering how poorly the younger man had regarded the case a week prior. "I mean, what's so important about it."

"It was my father's." Neji said softly, his voice as sharp as the Nara had ever heard it.

"Did he play the violin as well?"

Neji arched a brow. The case was small, therefore, it was quite obvious that any other instrument would not fit into it, but, the fact that Shikamaru referred to his father in the past tense put him off. Of course he knew a background search was performed on him, it was the policy at the medical office, but, Neji didn't expect Shikamaru to make his knowledge of it known, if only to be courteous.

"Yes, he did." As the car stopped at his apartment complex, Neji prepared to open his umbrella when he felt a hand on his knee. "Yes?"

"Hold on a minute." Shikamaru told him as he turned off the ignition and turned to him. "Look, I know this past week has been a bit strained between us and I can admit that, that is my fault. I want to apologize for yelling at you and for," he cleared his throat, waiting for Neji to look at him before he continued a bit more softly, "for making you cry."

Neji eyes widened as a blush covered his cheeks. "I didn't…"

"I know you did and I know you were trying to tell me something important about your violin." When Neji looked away, it took everything within Shikamaru not to cup his cheek and turn his face back to him. He squeezed Neji's knee and continued in a hushed voice. "I'm sorry I yelled at you Neji and I'm sorry for upsetting you, but, you have to understand that seeing someone I know personally run into a burning car, was more than upsetting."

Neji glimpsed at Shikamaru through his lashes and blinked slowly, noting the caring look he was being given and smiled, letting his hand fall to cover Shikamaru's.

"I'm sorry I worried you." He said softly, unable to contain the grin that broke out on his face when the hand he was cupping turned over and twined their fingers together, squeezing gently. He sighed as he looked at the clock; it was nearly eleven thirty and the hail was quickly turning to snow. He looked to where Shikamaru was still gazing at him somewhat tenderly and blushed deeply. "Shi…Shika…maru?"

He heard that deep chuckle and ducked his head, but, when he opened his eyes, he found Shikamaru ducking down to look down at him. "Yes?"

"Would…would you maybe like to come…come inside; the storm is starting and it probably will most likely be…really bad."

There was silence and Neji couldn't help but continue to blink nervously, wondering if he'd overstepped his boundaries, but when he saw a happy smile come to rest on the Nara's lips, he couldn't help but smile in return.

"I'd love to come inside."

--

A/N:

End chapter II

First off, I want to apologize for making both Neji and Deidara so uke-ish; I don't know what is wrong with me.

This chapter was chocked full of flashbacks, but, Deidara and Sasori are gonna be important later, so, I thought they deserved some history.

I don't think I made Deidara a crossdresser here, I may have, but, I think he's just androgynous, but believe what makes you happy.

I know Sasori is really sixteen years older than Deidara, but I thought ten years would work better for the story.

And, I honestly think Kishimoto forgot about Ino when he created Deidara. I mean, honestly, they could be twins….and not fraternal either. Well, they'd have to be fraternal because they're different genders, but, you get what I mean.

This chapter probably sucked but please let me know what you think.

torib0o(09/20)


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I'm sorry for the long wait. This story was saved on an inaccessible laptop for MONTHS and I was finally able to use it for all of 30 minutes to retrieve this chapter and email it elsewhere to finish it! A lot of time and work went into this chapter so I hope you guys enjoy it ^_^

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Only my OCs.

--

Shikamaru parked far enough from the door of Neji's apartment building that the two of them had to run to through the rain, and despite his umbrella, Neji was soaked to the bone. As they reached the doors, Neji reached his hand out to press the security code into the keypad by the door, and no sooner where they inside, when a harsh wind blew through the area, and with it came a heavy storm of hail.

"Wow," Neji said, mesmerized by the size of the ice. "Maybe we should move your car into the garage."

Shikamaru ran a hand along his neck. "Do you really think we should?"

"I still have the security sticker from my car, so we can use the garage if you want to."

The two stood there for a moment more watching the intensity of the storm increase and when a tree fell down on a car parked across the street, Shikamaru hurried back to his car with Neji at his side to pull the car into the garage.

--

Neji unlocked his door silently, feeling the water dripping between his shoulder blades and Shikamaru's eyes trained on his back. It was on the brink of midnight and the wind was blowing harshly outside with the impending storm. His hair was clinging moistly to his neck and his hands trembled at the thought of Shikamaru entering his home. Shikamaru, his employer who he'd worked diligently under for two and a half years. Shikamaru, who would make or break his source of income. Shikamaru, who'd been the sole occupant of his heart from the moment he laid eyes on him.

"Please leave your shoes by the door," Neji said softly as he shrugged off his coat. It was a heavy winter coat; one lined with soft faux fur and he lamented the time it would take for it to dry. As he turned around to hang it up, he dropped the coat and his hands flew to his mouth. "What are you doing?!" He shrieked.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow, amused. "Well, you honestly can't expect me to sit in clothes that are completely drenched."

Neji's eyes wandered over Shikamaru's bare chest, and his mouth became dry as his body went taunt with restless tension. It was obvious, even with clothing, Shikamaru had an excellent physique, but as he stood in the doorway of Neji's apartment, his white dress shirt and tie in hand, as tiny rivulets of water dripped down chiseled abdominal muscles, and fell over dark nipples that stood firm against his chest from the cold , there wasn't anyway to deny the fact that Neji would be in for a long night.

"I….umm…" Neji felt his face go hot as he shamelessly stared at Shikamaru's body before he remembered his place and turned around quickly, never noticing Shikamaru's tiny smirk. "I…I…"

"You?" Shikamaru prodded teasingly, watching Neji's shoulders shift with his hurried breathing. He could feel the anxiety rolling off the older man, and his tone conveyed his utter amusement.

"Be quiet!" Neji snapped, his eyes widening at his tone. "Please forgive me Mr. Nara." He chastised himself inwardly, asking how he could speak to his employer in such a manner. _'You idiot,'_ he thought to himself. _'Can't help but be rash can you-"_

"No."

Neji opened his eyes; his body jolting a bit. "Excuse me?" he questioned softly.

"Mr. Nara will not forgive you."

Neji shut his eyes once more as he lowered his head, feeling acid bubbling roughly in his stomach. "Please, sir-"

"You're asking the wrong person Neji because 'sir' won't forgive you either," he said as he walked around the older man, tilting Neji's chin upward and waiting until he opened his eyes. "I think you need to ask Shikamaru."

It took everything within Neji to keep himself upright; his muscles begging to go lax from the strength of Shikamaru's gaze and the domination in those deep brown eyes, but he blinked and slowly pulled himself away, his eyes downcast; submissive. Extending his left arm to a small hallway he spoke quietly.

"The bathroom is the door on the left. Please have a warm shower, and I will bring you a change of clothes." He turned, walking to his bedroom before looking over his shoulder, "Mr. Nara."

--

Shikamaru leaned against the door way watching as Neji placed a second pillow on the pullout sofa bed. The older man was dressed in soft gray sweatpants and a t-shirt, his hair wrapped up in a towel, and as he bent over, Shikamaru could see the lines of his brassiere through his shirt. His eyebrows rose, and he shifted slightly, the tiny piece of material causing his blood to run hot and he shook his head to rid himself of the images his mind conjured of Neji.

He coughed lightly, alerting the other to his presence and Neji looked over his shoulder, a blush instantly coming to rest on his cheeks. Shikamaru pushed himself off the wall and jerked his thumb back towards the bathroom.

"I, uh, I hung my towel up on rod in there," he said as he rubbed his hands together.

Neji looked Shikamaru over, happily surprised the clothing fit Shikamaru well enough. He'd decided against throwing them away some time ago, his heart ever sentimental. As he watched the taller man step into the small kitchen area, he realized he'd been spoken too and nodded quickly, a bit of his towel falling into his eye.

"Good."

Shikamaru laughed a bit as he watched Neji push his towel up and when those pale eyes turned to him questioningly, he felt himself melt a bit.

"Are…are you hungry?" Neji asked softly, "I could make you something to eat."

He was twisting his hands nervously, trying to busy himself and keep his eyes away from Shikamaru's, and the Nara couldn't help but find the action endearing. He leaned against the counter and let his eyes wander over the stainless steel utensils, appliances, and marble counters with dishtowels hanging from drawer handles. He played with the edge of fraying terrycloth; his head ducked and he looked at Neji through his lashes.

"What have you got?"

"Umm," Neji wrapped his arms around himself and allowed himself a tiny feeling as though he was a teenager again, trying to impress his crush of the moment. "Some leftover Chinese food, some pizza, and I think I might have some ceaser salad."

Shikamaru sat on a barstool as Neji moved to the refrigerator. "There's also some grilled steak and short ribs from that new Brazilian place; I'm very sorry, but I don't quite feel like cooking."

"That's alright," Shikamaru said as he watched Neji take down a couple of plates. "I'll have some short ribs and salad."

"Okay." He began to put the food on their plates. "Please make yourself comfortable. You're welcome to use the entertainment system in the living room."

Neji's kitchen and living room were actually one large room. His couch was a large 'L' shape, acting as a divider for the two areas. Along the walls were a series of bay windows and against the far wall was a small dining table. In front of the couch, mounted against the wall, was a fifty-four inch television, DVD towers on either side of it and below it, a low table with a cable box, and DVD player upon it.

"And, if you wouldn't mind, could you close the curtains? It's during times like these that I question my presence of mind when purchasing an apartment made mostly of windows; it's truly disconcerting with the storm."

Shikamaru chuckled lowly and did as he was asked before moving back to his stool to watch Neji place the plates in the microwave. The Hyuuga released a soft breath and turned around, jumping when he found Shikamaru's eyes trained on him.

"Wouldn't you like to watch television?"

"I'm sure the show I'm watching is far more captivating; the subject's quite interesting."

Turning his head, Neji fought down his blush and forced out a scoff. "Mr. Nara."

"I'm afraid he's absent; you'll have to try again."

Neji opened his mouth to speak just as the microwave went off.

"Would you like to watch a movie while we eat?"

Shikamaru simply sighed and shook his head, "Sure."

--

The sounds of a quieted movie played in the background as Shikamaru and Neji spoke quietly, the Nara on his bed and Neji in a low circle chair as he played his violin. Neji was all that existed in Shikamaru's eyes as the pale eyed man played his instrument, swaying with the music. In that moment, the Nara was sure he'd never seen anyone as beautiful as Neji.

His attraction to the older man was something he didn't question; Neji was gorgeous and there was no reason to deny it. From the first moment he saw the Hyuuga nearly three years prior, Shikamaru couldn't stop his head from turning in Neji's direction and giving him his full attention when he entered the room, and even though more than two years had passed, Neji didn't seem to be any wiser to Shikamaru's attention.

Shortly after Neji's employment under Nara Medical Industries, Shikamaru became engaged, however, not to a person of his choosing. Hanasaki Reika had been the woman of his mother's dreams; smart, beautiful, and unwilling to put up with Shikamaru's indolence, but she held no place in the man's heart. He did what was asked of him by his mother, for as overbearing and controlling as she was, she held the largest part of Shikamaru's heart at that time. Despite his insolence towards her, he would not disappoint the woman who stood behind him in every aspect of his life, and he knew that she only wanted him to settle down because she worried about him at times.

However, as effortless or demanding as a marriage may have been when a couple was in love, Shikamaru took more work than most, and he seemed to forget that on a weekly basis. There were times in which he would unlock the door to his apartment after a day at work and nearly jump a foot in the air at the woman sitting on the sofa attempting to pet his cat. Eventually Reika, as controlling as she was, grew tired of being the only one concerned about their relationship, or lack thereof, and gave Shikamaru an ultimatum; marriage counseling or divorce, and in that moment, she picked out a casket, dug her own grave, and buried herself.

Within a week, the divorce was finalized and they'd reached an agreement; Reika would get their co-purchased summer home and Ferrari, and Shikamaru would keep the penthouse and the SUV they'd purchased together. That was the end of their marriage. However, the fact that their marriage was over didn't stop Reika from popping up in Shikamaru's life from time to time, and it annoyed the Nara to no end. Although, now he was free to do what he pleased with whom he pleased and right now, he was pleased to watch Neji sway to and fro on his chaise as he softly detailed the history of the piece he was playing and the composer who wrote it.

As he finished the piece, Neji lay his violin beside him and reached up to pull the towel from his hair, running the cloth through his chestnut locks once more before laying it in his lap to look at Shikamaru who was watching him intently; his face blank.

Shikamaru had never seen Neji look as gorgeous as he did in that moment. While somewhat wet, Neji's hair held loose waves, and he looked so wonderfully calm. He watched as Neji ran his fingers through his hair before tilting his head questioningly.

"Sir?" Neji called softly, lowering his head to look up at Shikamaru through his lashes.

The Nara blinked slowly before nodding. "As I expected."

"Excuse me?"

Shikamaru chuckled lowly and shook his head. "You were wonderful."

And in that moment, Neji's heart grew warm and his cheeks flared with heat. He heard Shikamaru chuckle and turned his head away, embarrassed by his utter joy at the compliment.

"I mean it. You could've done so much with your talent You can still do a lot; why are you my secretary?" Though his tone was joking, Neji could hear an underlying seriousness; a true inquiry, and he smiled softly.

"I am happy with my job sir. A career in the arts is so uncertain at times, and while I do love playing my violin, I don't think it would be wise to use it as a means for my income."

"And why is that?"

"Because I love it," Neji said softly, running his fingertips over the instrument's body. "I'm afraid if I played it too much, I wouldn't appreciate it, and playing it would become somewhat of a chore."

"If you love something enough, doing it will never be a chore."

Neji looked at Shikamaru questioningly, wondering why his employer suddenly seemed so despondent, wondering why it sounded as though Shikamaru was speaking from a personal experience. He bit at his lower lip as he took in the seriousness of Shikamaru's countenance and while he was concerned, Neji couldn't help but think of how outstandingly attractive he looked in that moment.

After a moment, Shikamaru blinked his eyes and cleared his throat before looking back to Neji and smiling somewhat hesitantly. "Sorry about that," he apologized. "I lost myself for a moment there."

Neji nodded as he brushed an errant piece of hair behind his ear. "It's alright."

"But trust me; if you love something, you can never grow tired of it."

Something about the way Shikamaru was looking at him made Neji want to believe every word that fell from the Nara's lips. Turning away, he placed his violin back in it's case and took several deep breaths before he turned back to the younger man.

"So," Shikamaru said, leaning against the back of the couch, "I got the report about your car."

"Oh?" In truth, Neji knew he should have been the one to have his car inspected, but Shikamaru had been so kind and persuasive, offering to pay the expenses himself and when he'd fixed those warm eyes upon Neji, he couldn't help but give in.

"Mm-hmm. It seems that someone put bleach in the oil and ruined the engine."

Neji's hands flew to his mouth. "Oh my god," he whispered. "How-? Why-? I don't even know what to say."

Shikamaru moved to sit beside Neji in the circular chair, gently squeezing his shoulder. The chair was large and wide enough to seat both of them comfortably with a surplus of space and once he sat down, Shikamaru knew that given the opportunity, he would gladly sleep upon it.

"Why would someone do this to me?" His voice was as soft as ever, and Shikamaru couldn't help but feel his heart tug at the utter confusion and hurt lacing Neji's tone. "I..." he looked at Shikamaru somewhat pleadingly, his brow furrowed, "have I done something to someone to make them dislike me so? Does someone just...just hate me?"

"No, Neji, I'm sure-"

"I could have died."

The silence in the room was heavy, suffocating them, and Neji felt his heart thunder as his stomach turned at the thought of being so close to his death. Of course he knew at the time that his car being aflame was no guarantee on his life, considering he'd been in the automobile, however, knowing someone had willingly gone through the trouble of pouring bleach into his oil in an attempt to ruin his engine and possibly ending his life was something completely different and wholly frightening.

His eyes filled with tears and a quiet sob escaped him before he could contain it. He heard Shikamaru begin to speak, but refused to hear it as he sprang from the couch and hurriedly walked into his bedroom, mumbling a quiet, 'Excuse me'.

–

Shikamaru stared at Neji's retreating form and felt overwhelming compassion for him. He could understand Neji's upset and wanted nothing more than to comfort the Hyuuga, however, he could tell from Neji's repeated refusal to address him informally, that any form of comfort would not be taken willingly.

He stood and made his way to the door behind which Neji disappeared and pressed his ear to the wood, listening to Neji as he spoke on the phone within the room.

–

"Deidara, you aren't listening to me; someone purposely-"

"_Yeah, yeah, I know Neji, but you're fine now, aren't you?"_

"But, it's the fact that-"

"_Someone has it out for you. I __**know**__ Neji, but think of this way. That guy you're always pining over. He __**rescued**__ you, doll."_

"I-"

"_From a __**burning**__ automobile! You could've __**both**__ died, but he risked himself for you."_

Neji scoffed and toed at his comforter. "You make him sound so....so chivalrous, Dei."

"_It was chivalrous, Neji. I don't know how you can't see that."_

"I can see it, but he would've done it for anyone." He sighed softly and looked out of one his bedroom windows. "You just don't know the type of person Mr. Nara is."

"_As much as you talk about him-"_

"I do _not_ talk about him a lot," he protested, and when he heard Deidara snort on the other end of the line, his cheeks turned scarlet. "Do I really, Dei?" he asked softly.

"_No, no, I was kidding-"_

"I do, don't I? I'm so sorry! It's just...,"he bit at his lower lip and looked at his bedroom door briefly before sighing. "I can't help how I feel. He's just so kind to me Deidara, and even though he's completely inappropriate most of the time, he's also very polite and he never treats me....differently."

"_And he shouldn't. From what you've told me, Shikamaru is a good guy, so it doesn't matter that you have a bit of a crush, and it doesn't matter that you talk about him a lot -"_

"But, it doesn't make sense to keep harping on about him when I know I'll never have him." He sounded lost and dejected and when he heard Deidara's quiet huff, Neji sniffled sadly.

"How do you know that?"

Neji snorted, "He's been _married_."

"_And?"_

"What do you mean 'and'?"

Deidara made an irritated noise ._ "Marriage is not a testament to someone's heterosexuality, Neji. There are a handful of reasons why he could've gotten married, and yes, love is one of them, but that doesn't have to be the case. And aside from all that, he isn't married anymore. Is he?"_

Neji pulled at a strand of hair, twirling it aimlessly around his finger as he sucked at his lower lip. "I suppose that's true."

"_Of course it is! You've __**got**__ to stop over thinking things; you're going to drive me mad," _Deidara laughed loudly, as he did at most things, and Neji couldn't help but smile along with him. _"Now, he's there isn't he?"_

Neji blushed and nodded shyly before remembering Deidara couldn't see him. "Yes," he answered softly.

"_Ok then! Here's what I want you to do. Get off your ass and out of cover cocoon..." _Cringing, Neji looked down at the various blankets wrapped around his figure and shook his head. ".._and go out there and talk to him. I'm not telling you to confess your undying love or anything like that, but I'm sure he doesn't like being out there by himself, and don't bring up that car....thing."_

Despite himself, Neji couldn't help but laugh at Deidara's instruction, knowing it was what he should do, despite his position beneath Shikamaru. He thanked his friend for his advice before hanging up and moving to stand in front of his mirror. He ran his fingers through wavy locks and wiped at his eyes, scowling at the redness of them and his nose, but as he looked at himself, he tilted his head curiously.

His appearance was natural, real, and he thought that maybe, just maybe, a bit of honesty might do him the slightest bit of good.

–

On the other side of Neji's bedroom door, Shikamaru's face was twisted in confusion.

Moving back to the couch, he sat down heavily and exhaled a long breath. He'd never been for eavesdropping or intruding in the personal affairs of others, in fact, he was known for being uninterested in almost everyday life unless it caused him some kind of trouble, but this was rather interesting.

Over the course of Neji's employment, he gave the other man tiny winks and lingering touches, but nothing that could seem overtly inappropriate. He was never crude and he thanked Neji for everything he did, despite it all being part of the Hyuuga's job. There were many things in his life for which he was thankful, however, Neji was at the top of his list.

On most days, Neji would almost dance into the building in which they worked and smile brightly at Shikamaru as he went about preparing morning coffee and running down the Nara's itinerary for the day, and Shikamaru couldn't help but be enamored with him.

He leaned against the back of the couch and rotated his neck. He assumed long ago that Neji felt some less than platonic measure of affection for him; judging by the Hyuuga's constant meekness and subservient nature in his presence.

Now, what would he do about it?

At that moment, he heard Neji's bedroom door open and he turned to face the older man. He resisted the urge to move to stand beside Neji and prod him with useless questions of his well being when he could clearly see Neji's discontent in faintly muddied tear tracks and redness surrounding his nose and eyes.

"Please excuse my earlier behavior," Neji apologized awkwardly pushing his wavy tresses behind his ears. "It was rude of me to leave you out here on your own when you are a guest in my home."

Shikamaru shook his head and sat back down on the pull out, patting the mattress beside him for Neji. "Don't apologize; I understand."

Neji sat beside Shikamaru, cross legged as he looked at the other man through his lashes. "Thank you."

"No problem." He smiled disarmingly and when Neji smiled that shy smile of his, Shikamaru's face broke out in a grin. "So, what are we going to do now?"

"Well, what would you like to do?"

Shikamaru lay down on the couch, glancing at Neji from the corner of his eye as he shrugged a shoulder, the smile still on his lips. "As long as it's with you, I don't think it matters too much."

--

End Chapter 3!

I know everyone was expecting something "naughty" to happen but Neji is NOT that kind of boy lol.

So, thoughts? Opinions? Review?

torib0o (01/19/10)


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